Feed back control system for a postage meter

ABSTRACT

A feed back control system for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and sealed. All the envelopes are stopped at a weighing station where they are weighed, and the postage corresponding to their particular weight is computed. The feed back control system of the invention adjusts a postage meter from a previous postage value to a new postage value in accordance with the computed postage. The postage meter imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. The metering and weighing functions of the system are synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint the proper postage upon each piece of mail, despite the fact that several envelopes may be simultaneously in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their reaching the postage meter station. Metered and overweight pieces of mail are separately stacked.

United States Patent 1191 Dlugos et al.

[54] FEED BACK CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A POSTAGE METER Inventors: Daniel F. Dlugos, Huntington;

Gerald C. Freeman, Norwalk; Flavio M. Manduley, Seymour, all of Conn.

Sept. 9, 1975 [5 7 ABSTRACT A feed back control system for use in a continuous mail sorting and postage imprinting system which automatically weighs and meters each piece of mail. The system is designed to rapidly handle a large quantity of mixed mail. 'Mixed mail is continuously and synchronously fed in seriatim along a continuous feed path. Unsealed envelopes have their flaps wetted and 52 us. 01. 318/685; 318/696; 198/39; seeled- All the envelopes are Stepped at a weighing G 2 station where they are weighed, and the postage corre- 51 161. c1. G05B 19/40 Spending to their Particular Weight is eemPuted- The [58] Field Of Search 318/696, 685, 601, 602; feed heek Control System Of the invention adjusts e 209/1316 2, 121, 1 1 1 198/39 DIG 6; postage meter from a previous postage value to a new 214 1 1 postage value in accordance with the computed postage. The postage meter imprints the required postage upon each envelope as it arrives at a metering station. References Cited The metering and weighing functions of the system are UNITED STATES PATENTS synchronized such that the postage meter will imprint 2,941,653 6 1960 Kriemelmeyer 198/DIG. 16 the Proper Postage upon each Piece of mail, despite 2,941,654 6 1960 Falconer 198/DIG. 16 the fact that Several envelopes y be simultaneously 3,103,285 9/1963 Goodcll et a1. 198/D1G. 2 in transit along the feed path. Overweight pieces of 3,374,410 3/1968 Crunquist ct a1..... 318/685 mail are rejected from the feed path prior to their 3,418,547 12/1963 Dudler 318/685 reaching the postage meter station. Metered and over- 1465317 9/1969 Krcss 318/685 weight pieces of mail are separately stacked. 3,596,750 8/l97l Hendon 198/39 3,683,254 8/1972 Masse ct al. 318/685 2 Claims, 30 Drawing Figures FEEDER DRIVE DRE-SEAL SEALER Pres-5cm; POST-SCALE $1 551" 8 Eiiifiiffa simii m METER TRANSFER WEIGHMG GATE STAT'ON 23 POSTAGE METER [STATION 20 22\ STATION 23 J 1 METER 24 8-8 8-E---8e h e we SEDARATOR FEED PATH SCALE [9 STATlON 25 REJECT STACKER '26 OVER-WEIGHT MAIL) METERED MAIL STAC KE R '27 PATENTED SEP 91975 SHEET PATENTE-D SEP 975 SHEET .EQEDm 334m.

ME N PATENTEB SEP 9 I 75 SHEET PM ENTED SEP 9 i975 SHEET ACTUATOR SETTINGS STEDPER MOTORS SOLENOlDS DOLLARS (0-!) TENS (0-9) CENTS (0-9) PAIENTEU SEP 19 5 PATENTEU SEP 9 I975 SHEET PATENTEU SEP 9 I975 SHEET FIG, [8

FIG. I? 

1. A feed-back control system for setting an actuator assembly of a postage meter from a present meter setting to a subsequent meter setting, said feed-back system comprising: a stepper motor operatively connected to said actuator assembly of said postage meter for rotationally setting the actuator assembly to a postage value position; position determining means associated with said stepper motor for determining the rotational position of said stepper motor, and hence, a present postage value position set for said actuator assembly, said position determining means providing a discrete electrical output corresponding to the determined position of the stepper motor; comparator means operatively connected to said output means for receiving the electrical output of said output means and comparing said output with an electrical input corresponding to a subsequent postage value for said meter, and then supplying an electrical output based upon the comparison; input means operatively connected to said comparator means for providing the electrical input corresponding to a subsequent postage value for said meter; and pulse generating means connected to said comparator means and said stepper motor for receiving the electrical output from the comparator, and then generating a pulse output for said stepper motor to set the actuator assembly from the present setting to said subsequent setting.
 2. The feed-back control system of claim 1, wherein said position determining means comprises an encoder disc attached to a shaft of said stepper motor and rotatable therewith, said encoder disc having a number of sets of indicator holes disposed therein through which light may pass, a source of light disposed adjacent said encoder disc for passing light through said indicator holes, and detection means disposed opposite said light source and said disc for detecting through which holes in the disc the light is passed, whereby the position of the stepper motor is determined. 